Category: Side dishes

Oh.my.word. I can’t get enough food these days. Perhaps it’s the unrelenting winter or perhaps it’s the pregnancy. Who really knows?

But, as I have been staying away from all grain for a while now and feel the need to sneak some back in comfort-wise, I thought I would try out something with the quinoa I had stored in the cupboard from a recent trip to the Little Falls Co-op.

Something to stick to my ribs was what this frigid Saturday called for. It was 10 degrees if that, and, even with a fire going, I was all bundled up in two pairs of socks and the largest fuzziest sweater I could find (my husband’s).

Sad to say how cold it has been–even though on the first day of Spring I was able to take this guy for a warm 30-degree walk without freezing my buttinsky off.

Back to food. I’m getting hungry.

Frequently, my meals center around what needs to be eaten up in the crisper. I buy a lot of vegetables during my weekly grocery trip, but have difficulty using them all up. Like a whole head of cabbage from St. Patrick’s Day.

So, this meal was born. I call them garbage meals. Before things go into the garbage, cook them up!

It had carrots in it, which I had, but that was about it. But, basically, all I needed was the timing and water ratio for the quinoa. So I used it!

It called for one cup of quinoa and two cups of water, so I got that boiling and started a-chopping!

I had carrots, cabbage and onions in the larder. Chop, chop, chop.

I didn’t think I was going to blog this so I didn’t get a chance to do all of those fancy measured mise-en-place photos. Instead, I started with this one because I quickly realized it was going to taste soooooo good.

All it took was some coconut oil going in the wok with the veggies and my head was spinning with possibilities. What else was in the fridge that could use some attention?

Well, hello jalapenos. My trusty meal kicker.

The carrots were getting an excellent crust. Nicely sugaring. Added some coarse sea salt in at this point.

Also, tossed in two frozen ginger cubes I keep around with minced garlic. I never bother to measure the garlic–just tap the jar on the side of the wok and see what pops up.

After this cooked down for a few minutes, I added in coconut aminos, sesame oil and Thai and True! A lucky find in a suburban Seattle grocery store.

So, so glad I bought it. Well, I buy hot sauce while on vacation like people buy t-shirts or magnets.

Now, I needed some meat. I buy frozen fish whenever it’s on sale, but I usually save it for fish tacos. Since I hadn’t eaten grains (including corn) in a long time, I knew there was some salmon in there at risk of developing frostbite. Perfect protein addition.

I actually had white fish I needed to use up, too, so I used both. Double fish.

Once that cooked down, I added the quinoa back in to absorb some juices. Pushed that around for a bit–then pushed it to the side to cook up three beaten eggs. I did this really quickly so I couldn’t spare a hand to photograph it.

Once it started to set, I pulled it off the heat and plated it with those pretty little oranges that also needed to be eaten.

So, whether you’re gluten-free, a health nut or just looking for a high-quality protein-based carb, you should check this recipe out.

Add in whatever vegetables and protein are about to “turn” on you and spice it with your favorite hot items. It’s such an easy, customize-able dish.

It hit that hunger spot near my ribs right on.

And don’t forget to head over to the Battle of the Breads post to see which winning combination of ingredients (and delicious toppings) won this tasty battle.

Q

Quinoa and salmon healthy fried "rice"

2015-04-05 18:03:43

Serves 4

A fantastically healthy, gluten-free side dish or meal that can be cooked quickly and customized with whatever you have in your cupboards or refrigerator.